a low-fi residency and retreat for thinkers, creatives, and researchers
Chop Wood, Carry Water runs a Spring and a Fall session. There are no residencies in July or August. Only up to 5 people will be in residency/week. This low residency allows for physical distancing as well as the space for people to choose interaction when desired, allowing focus on your practice and process.
Access Description and Application documents below
All genders, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, races, and ethnicities are welcome as Chop Wood Carry Water residents.
Applications are to assess if Chop Wood Carry Water lo-fi land-based residency is a good fit for you. There is no jurying of your past work.
Artist and curator Ji Yang reflects on his experience at the Chop Wood Carry Water Residency. Yang attended the Fall session of 2022. This lo-fi residency brings together thinkers, artists, and collaborators on Pachamanka, land located in the driftless region of northwestern Illinois. Residents often end their days around a campfire telling stories, sharing a meal, and stargazing.
Aya Nakamura (@ayasembe) attended the Chop Wood Carry Water residency in the fall of 2022. In this short, she recounts some of her experiences drawing in the prairie. Nakamura’s drawings are colored pencil on handmade paper of different sizes and shapes. She states, “they have a physicality and assert themselves during the drawing process. They are meditations on death and metaphysics, and provide space for questioning, grief, memorial, humor, and healing.”
Kristin Abhalter Smith talks about the connection between working with the land of Pachamanka and being creative. Abhalter Smith is an artist and the Executive Director of Roman Susan, an art foundation that “celebrates and shares the work of artists in the Great Lakes Region.” She attended the Chop Wood Carry Water Residency in the Fall of 2022.
This is not an art residency. We do not expect you to be an artist. We are interested in a larger definition of what it means to think, make, build and collaborate with land, other humans and living beings. We believe edges and categories of what it means to be creative and how we live in this world are meant to be explored and that this is essential for a new coming together within ourselves and between ourselves.
2021–2024 CWCW resident list
︎ Kristin Abthaler-Smith, builder/gallerist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, animator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Rae Atapka, poet (Lawrence, KS)
︎ Katie Bettin, farmer (Omaha, NE)
︎ Aradia Blackburn, textile artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Lorene Bouboushian, dancer/noise artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Brook Celeste, actor/writer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Anjal Chande, curator/dancer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Lydia Cheshewalla, sculptor (Pawhuska, OK)
︎ Kate Dessofy, dancer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Paul Dickenson, sound artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Megan Diddie, multimedia artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Susannah Donne, florist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Hannah Crea Frink, ceramicist (Bar Harbor, ME)
︎ Miguel Gajdos, designer (New York, NY)
︎ L. Goldstein, poet (Chicago, IL)
︎ Adam Grossi, writer/painter (Reston, VA)
︎ M.B. Hackleman, activist (Joshua Tree, CA)
︎ Carl Harders, herbalist (Los Angeles, CA)
︎ Deirdre Harrison, archivist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Sara Heyman, librarian/curator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jess Hicks, painter/fashion designer (Brooklyn, NY)
︎ Serena Hochoroen, woodworker/animator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Tim Hogan, writer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Anna Ialeggio, performer (Ithaca, NY)
︎ Layne Jackson, painter (Chicago, IL)
︎ Javier Jasso, sculptor/ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jessica Johanson, florist/farmer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Breanne Johnson, furniture maker (Detroit, MI)
︎ Virginia Kennard, performer/dancer (Auckland, NZ)
︎ Jennifer Karmin, poet (Chicago, IL)
︎ Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, animator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Rae Atapka, poet (Lawrence, KS)
︎ Katie Bettin, farmer (Omaha, NE)
︎ Aradia Blackburn, textile artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Lorene Bouboushian, dancer/noise artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Brook Celeste, actor/writer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Anjal Chande, curator/dancer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Lydia Cheshewalla, sculptor (Pawhuska, OK)
︎ Kate Dessofy, dancer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Paul Dickenson, sound artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Megan Diddie, multimedia artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Susannah Donne, florist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Hannah Crea Frink, ceramicist (Bar Harbor, ME)
︎ Miguel Gajdos, designer (New York, NY)
︎ L. Goldstein, poet (Chicago, IL)
︎ Adam Grossi, writer/painter (Reston, VA)
︎ M.B. Hackleman, activist (Joshua Tree, CA)
︎ Carl Harders, herbalist (Los Angeles, CA)
︎ Deirdre Harrison, archivist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Sara Heyman, librarian/curator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jess Hicks, painter/fashion designer (Brooklyn, NY)
︎ Serena Hochoroen, woodworker/animator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Tim Hogan, writer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Anna Ialeggio, performer (Ithaca, NY)
︎ Layne Jackson, painter (Chicago, IL)
︎ Javier Jasso, sculptor/ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jessica Johanson, florist/farmer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Breanne Johnson, furniture maker (Detroit, MI)
︎ Virginia Kennard, performer/dancer (Auckland, NZ)
︎ Jennifer Karmin, poet (Chicago, IL)
︎ Rob Kelly, builder (Chicago, IL)
︎ Liv Koreman, ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jen Langkammer, educator (Milwaukee, WI)
︎ Lucky Li, landscape architect/papermaker (Hartford, CT)
︎ Hope Lian-Vinson, brick maker (Kansas City, MO)
︎ Tanner McCleerey, woodworker/software engineer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Ethan McGinnis, sculptor/installation artist (Boulder, CO)
︎ Cole Murphy, software engineer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Aya Nakamura, painter/papermaker (Chicago, IL)
︎ Paige Naylor, sound artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Blake Nemec, poet/somatic teacher (Chicago, IL)
︎ Ronan Nigh, fabric artist (Denver, CO)
︎ John O’Malley, carpenter (Chicago, IL)
︎ Julian de Lindgren, illustrator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Parissa Ott, illustrator (Atlanta, GA)
︎ Eugenia Ozerova, ceramicist (Los Angeles, CA)
︎ Elizabeth Phillips, paper maker/illustrator (Brooklyn, NY)
︎ Jeff Prokash, furniture maker (Chicago, IL)
︎ Rae Red, performer/animator (Baltimore, MD)
︎ Megan Robertson, physical therapist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Alyssa Rooks, baker (Madison, WI)
︎ Nathan Rutz, composter (Cleveland, OH)
︎ Chris Salas, ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Phera Singh, basket maker (Chicago, IL)
︎ David Sprecher, sculptor (Chicago, IL)
︎ Audrey Todd, outdoor educator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Patrick Wojtak, psychologist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Ji Yang, photographer/filmaker (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jo Covers, ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Sara Zalek, movement artist/musician (Chicago, IL)
︎ Liv Koreman, ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jen Langkammer, educator (Milwaukee, WI)
︎ Lucky Li, landscape architect/papermaker (Hartford, CT)
︎ Hope Lian-Vinson, brick maker (Kansas City, MO)
︎ Tanner McCleerey, woodworker/software engineer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Ethan McGinnis, sculptor/installation artist (Boulder, CO)
︎ Cole Murphy, software engineer (Chicago, IL)
︎ Aya Nakamura, painter/papermaker (Chicago, IL)
︎ Paige Naylor, sound artist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Blake Nemec, poet/somatic teacher (Chicago, IL)
︎ Ronan Nigh, fabric artist (Denver, CO)
︎ John O’Malley, carpenter (Chicago, IL)
︎ Julian de Lindgren, illustrator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Parissa Ott, illustrator (Atlanta, GA)
︎ Eugenia Ozerova, ceramicist (Los Angeles, CA)
︎ Elizabeth Phillips, paper maker/illustrator (Brooklyn, NY)
︎ Jeff Prokash, furniture maker (Chicago, IL)
︎ Rae Red, performer/animator (Baltimore, MD)
︎ Megan Robertson, physical therapist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Alyssa Rooks, baker (Madison, WI)
︎ Nathan Rutz, composter (Cleveland, OH)
︎ Chris Salas, ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Phera Singh, basket maker (Chicago, IL)
︎ David Sprecher, sculptor (Chicago, IL)
︎ Audrey Todd, outdoor educator (Chicago, IL)
︎ Patrick Wojtak, psychologist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Ji Yang, photographer/filmaker (Chicago, IL)
︎ Jo Covers, ceramicist (Chicago, IL)
︎ Sara Zalek, movement artist/musician (Chicago, IL)
Access Description and Application documents below
All genders, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, races, and ethnicities are welcome as Chop Wood Carry Water residents.
Applications are to assess if Chop Wood Carry Water lo-fi land-based residency is a good fit for you. There is no jurying of your past work.